This invention relates generally to auxiliary cargo carriers adapted to be mounted on automotive vehicles, and more specifically to such auxiliary cargo carriers as provide a protective enclosure which is adapted to be easily and removably installed upon a motor vehicle.
Often it is desirable to provide additional cargo carrying capacity for automotive vehicles, particularly for the newer compact models which have greatly reduced cargo carrying capacity. Accordingly, various devices have been developed which are adapted to be mounted on exterior surfaces of the vehicle such as a roof or trunk lid which provide a means for securing additional cargo to these exterior portions of the vehicle.
Conventional article or luggage carriers commonly provided on automobiles or similar vehicles offer one means of providing this necessary and desirable additional cargo carrying capacity. A wide assortment of such luggage carriers are commonly available today, and generally are adapted to be mounted either on the roof of vehicles, such as station wagons, sedans, or the like, or on the trunk lid of the vehicles. Generally, these luggage carriers provide at least a partial perimeter rail for retaining the cargo within an enclosed area and a plurality of support members which may be attached to the rail or secured directly to the vehicle. These carriers may be designed for either permanent installation, such as those commonly provided on station wagons, or may be adapted to be removable during periods of non-use. In using any of these carriers, an individual will generally secure the cargo to the carrier by tying it in place with rope or other suitable elongated containment device. While these carriers are suitable for accommodating various sizes and shapes of articles, the cargo carried thereby is exposed to potential damage from adverse weather conditions which may be encountered, as well as potential damage from debris which may be thrown against the cargo by other vehicles. Also, some of these carriers are difficult to use in particular for carrying small articles, since several layers of rope or the like must be wrapped around, over, and under the articles and carrier in order to secure the articles to the carrier and prevent them from being dislodged by the forces exerted thereon such as by wind resistance and/or maneuvering of the vehicle. Slideably adjustable luggage carriers have optimized tie down points to minimize the amount of rope or the like needed for securement, but still expose the secured articles to the elements of the environment.
More recently, various types of bags have been developed for use in conjunction with luggage carriers. The bags are generally fabricated from a flexible rubberized canvas or plastic composition and may be provided with a zipper to allow various articles to be easily inserted into the bag. The bag may then be tied as a single unitary package to the luggage carrier itself. While the use of the bag does offer some protection against the elements encountered by the motor vehicle these bags may be easily torn or otherwise damaged to allow rain or dirt to enter and possibly damage the contents thereof.
Other types of enclosures have also been developed which are adapted to be mounted on the vehicle. Generally all of these other various enclosures, however, utilize exterior means for securing the enclosure to the vehicle itself and are not integrated into a removable and adjustable luggage carrier system having support means and removeable and/or adjustable securement means for articles secured within the enclosure at optimized tie down points. Further, prior art enclosures are generally difficult to mount and remove, thus making them less desirable to use by the individual.
Accordingly, the present invention provides an enclosure which has means provided thereon for cooperating with mounting means either permanently or removably secured to the vehicle itself which allow the enclosure to be easily and removably secured to the vehicle. Further, support and securement means are located within the enclosure which comprise removeable and/or adjustable components of a luggage carrier system optimizing securement tie down points and offering a tremendous degree of flexibility as a luggage carrier in itself, along with permitting various accessories to be mounted to the luggage carrier with or without the enclosure. Also, the enclosure is fabricated from relatively rigid self-supporting materials so as to protect the contents from damage from adverse weather conditions or debris thrown against the enclosure, such as from a passing vehicle.
Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the subsequent description and the appended claims taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.